RBS 6 Nations 2016: Power Ranking Teams After Matchday 2

England moved to the head of the 2016 RBS Six Nations standings in Matchday 2 as a 40-9 win over Italy was enough to not only preserve their unbeaten start, but improve their title intentions also.

Eddie Jones' side will have gained a huge amount of confidence from that display, while Ireland's 10-9 loss to 100-per cent France means Joe Schmidt's side are yet to win a game in their title defence.

Wales are also in a jubilant mood after they held off a stern examination from Scotland to emerge with a 27-23 win in Cardiff, where both teams had positive lessons to take from a back-and-forth encounter.

Read on as we power rank the Six Nations contenders in accordance with their recent form, and the official table standings don't necessarily indicate which teams are in the ascendancy.

6. Italy

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Sadly for coach Jacques Brunel, it doesn't appear likely his Italy team will be completing any grand revival act at this year's Six Nations after hopes initially seemed so high following a two-point loss to France in Paris.

If that result was close, the 40-9 defeat at home to England in Week 2 proved to be anything but, particularly over the course of a lacklustre second half, in which they conceded four of their five leaked tries.

Rugby World's Charlie Morgan dissected the fixture and pointed to the Azzurri's stand-off defence as a major cause behind their downfall. However, the fact they controlled 61 per cent of possession in Rome and still failed to cross over the whitewash is evidence their attack still has gaping holes, too.

It seems only too likely another Wooden Spoon is waiting in the wings for Italy.

5. Ireland

For too long now we've been saying Ireland are "a team in transition," waving goodbye to Paul O'Connell last year as the last component of their Old Guard, but the time has come to unearth new superstars.

Not just yet for coach Joe Schmidt, it seems, after his side crumbled to a 10-9 loss in Paris last Saturday, a game that will surely go down as one of Ireland's most uninspired performances in recent memory.

Rarely have the Boys in Green been seen attacking with so little running intent in the last few years, and their punishment, as confirmed by SA Rugby Magazine, was a drop to eighth in the World Rugby standings.

Without a win to their name at this year's tournament, Ireland are pinning any slim hopes of a title defence on their clash at Twickenham in Week 3, where another loss would make this something of a disaster campaign.

For now, Schmidt is still getting to grips with who makes up his best XV, and a combination of too many round pegs playing in square holes has seen the team plummet.

4. Scotland

While Ireland (one) may have more points to their name than Scotland (zero) in the 2016 Six Nations standings, it's difficult to fight the notion it's Vern Cotter's men who have played the better rugby.

Granted, the Irish drew 16-16 against Wales in Week 1, whereas the Scots fell to a 27-23 defeat to the same opponents in Cardiff last Saturday, but the circumstances of those two meetings were decidedly different.

Not least of which is that fact Cotter & Co. came to the Welsh capital full of intent to not sit back on their laurels and hope for a tight affair, instead taking the game to their hosts in admirable fashion.

Rugby World's Morgan highlighted captain Greig Laidlaw as a vital running asset, while Stuart Hogg, Finn Russell and Tommy Seymour also add a great deal of fervour to Cotter's new-and-improved back line.

Attacking with adventure behind a solid scrum has given this Scotland team a sheen that's sure to put them in great stead to develop even further under Cotter, and a pointless campaign as of yet can't mask their quality.

3. France

France's 10-9 win over Ireland in Week 2 was hardly Les Bleus' most glamorous win, but Guy Noves won't care as he maintains a 100 per cent winning start to life as head coach of the national team.

Ireland pair Johnny Sexton and Dave Kearney were thumped by Yoann Maestri and Guilhem Guirado, respectively, with a pair of controversial tackles, but the hosts ultimately emerged with the points in France.

Speaking to Balls.ie earlier this week, former British and Irish Lion Willie John McBride lambasted the French for the overly physical manner in which they won the game:

"

I think it was appalling,  the dirt and filth in the game. They obviously went out and targeted Sexton and got him...I think it's disgraceful, absolutely disgraceful. And this guy is laughing to himself because he got away with it. It certainly was intentional. Not only that but they targeted others. If anybody sat down and really examined that tape. It was disgraceful some of the things that happened.

"

But win France did, and it's difficult to argue against results, even if Noves' side have come out of their two victories with an aggregate points difference of only plus-two.

Noves himself is reshaping a new dynasty in France, and a fresh wave of stars have made a positive start to life under the former Toulouse chief, only promising to get better as time goes on.

2. Wales

Dan "Lazarus" Biggar completed his miraculous recovery to feature against Scotland in Week 2 and kick no fewer than 12 points for Wales as they soared to a 27-23 win over the Scots.

Things looked slightly nervy for Warren Gatland's men at one point, but it's also the sign of a great team that can wait for the phases to come and trust they've got the players to put them over in the end. After all, New Zealand do it on a semi-regular basis.

In this case, it was Jamie Roberts and George North—two poster boys of this generation—who delivered the goods and sent the Dragons on their way to a first 2016 Six Nations win.

That, coupled with such a stubborn display in Dublin a week earlier, should keep Wales in good stead to make a serious bid for this year's crown.

1. England

England have produced the results so far and, thanks to a 40-point display against Italy last Sunday, it now looks as though they're showcasing the entertainment value to go along with it.

In particular, hat-trick hero Jonathan Joseph led an assault on Rome, while figures such as Billy Vunipola, Anthony Watson and the emerging Maro Itoje also impressed in the Red Rose's most recent outing. 

There will be harder tests to come than Italy, of course, but the more we see of Scotland, the more impressive it is that England managed to shut out Cotter's side to a 15-9 defeat at Murrayfield in Week 1.

Jones is yet to leave any distinctive blueprint on a team that's still showing a great deal of Stuart Lancaster influence, but there's no doubt we'll get a better idea of what he's bringing to the fore against Ireland on February 27. 

For now, the thriving talent in England alone appears to be placing the team in good stead, and a side willing to experiment and have fun unsurprisingly sits atop the table.

All statistics come courtesy of ESPN Scrum.